The 5 stunning natural wonders of Brazil

Photo Tour: 5 stunning natural wonders of Brazil

Soak up the beauty of Iguazu Falls.Photo by SF Brit/Flickr

Photos of Brazil’s exotic destinations can inspire the most intrepid of armchair travelers to start planning their own trip. To help feed your travel wanderlust, we’re happy to share the beauty and diversity of Brazil’s landscapes in these snapshots: Which natural wonder sparks your call to adventure?

Iguazu Falls

A series of 275 cascades form Iguazu Falls and plunge into a 260 foot canyon near the southern tip of Brazil on the border with Argentina. The sheer scale of the falls is something to marvel: Iguazu Falls are four times larger than Niagara Falls in the United States.

Claim to fame: Iguazu Falls is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World.Don’t miss: Cross the border into Argentina for a different view of the Falls.

Fernando de Noronha

Swim with your favorite marine friends in these clear waters.Photo by Fred Schinke/Flickr

Located about 220 miles off the east coast of Brazil and just south of the Equator, 21 volcanic islands amid piercing blue waters form the Fernando de Noronhaarchipelago. These islands are an important place for marine animals to stop and feed while migrating across the southern Pacific. The waters of Fernando de Noronha are a scuba diver’s delight because turtles, manta rays, lemon sharks and a variety of colorful fish are frequently encountered.

Don’t miss: Watch hundreds of spinner dolphins gather in the Bay of Dolphins.When to go: Dry season is from September to March, and most travelers visit in December and January.Nearest city: Natal 220 miles, mainland Brazil

Central Amazon

Colors collide in this Amazon river scene.Photo by David Schroeder/Flickr

Often referred to as “The Lungs of the Planet”, the tropical blanket of the Amazon covers Brazil’s western region and flows into the neighboring country of Peru. A highlight of Brazil’s central Amazon is the Encontra Da Aguas (or Meeting of the Waters). Here the dark waters of the Rio Negro converge with the pale waters of the Amazon to create a very distinct barrier of color.

Claim to fame: The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest in the world.Don’t miss: Encontra Da AguasWhen to go: It’ll be hot and humid with a good chance of rain anytime of the year.Nearest city:Manaus 10 miles from Encontra Das Aguas

The Pantanal Wetlands

From the bird’s eye view Pantanal is a blanket of blue and green.Photo from Dreamstime

Cruise in a boat through the nutrient-rich waters of the Patanal floodplains. This vital ecological region covers more than 96,500 square miles in the central west part of Brazil and is home to a lot of vegetation and wildlife. The giant anteater, maned wolf, and capybaba, the world’s largest rodent, are among the variety of animals that dwell in these wetlands.

Claim to fame: These are the world’s largest freshwater wetlands.When to go: The best time of visit is from June to August, after the waters recede.Nearest city: Porto Jofre, Corumba

Sugarloaf Moutain

Sugarloaf Mountain watches in silence as Rio lights up with activity.Photo from Dreamstime

Brazil’s Sugarloaf Mountain is an iconic natural wonder in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. As seen in the photo above, the unearthly dome shaped mountain rests at the end of a peninsula that divides the Atlantic Ocean from Guanabara Bay. Sugarloaf is a geologist’s dream, composed of 600 million year-old monolothic granite and quartz morros that rise straight from the sea.

Don’t miss: Take the cable car to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for stunning panoramic views.When to go: September and October are great because the surroundings are still lush and green from the rainy season.

About Author

Britt is addicted to the spontaneous nature of travel and personal growth it inspires. She bought a one-way ticket to South America in 2012, starting her journey in Argentina and slowly traveled north through Chile, Bolivia, and Peru. Unable to shake her addiction of Latin America, she now happily calls Peru home.